Are you looking for something different to tingle and tantalize your taste buds, exotic and spicy foods that scream flavour? You have to check out the new India 47 Restaurant & Bar at Lesperance and E.C. Row, in the former Webb’s or Rygate. I don’t know a heck of a lot about authentic Indian food, only having been to a couple other restaurants serving that particular country’s fare, but this new venture caught my attention.
I think this is the first time I’ve ever blogged and bragged about one particular restaurant twice. My last post about El Quetzal De Laura in Villa Obregon was for their excellent breakfasts, and now Cathryn and I can rant about their dinners.
Diners have a choice of seating inside and out, the restaurant being shaded by trees, foliage, and an awning out front. Chairs are padded and comfortable, and tables are adorned with real tablecloths.
While waiting on our dinners we heard diners around us raving about their crepes and salad. Cathryn ordered the special-coconut shrimp and I asked for the Popeye crepe that included spinach to make me big and strong. It was also filled with large plump shrimp, onions and cream cheese – a creamy, chewy mixture, wrapped in a light and fluffy piece of heaven. My entree included their house salad, a mixture of greens and shredded carrots and alfalfa sprouts, with a light balsamic dressing.
Cathryn’s shrimp were huge but the only gave her six and I was afraid I wouldn’t get a sample. Her plate came with a salad and rice but she opted for veggies, getting a nice assortment and steamed and tender goodies. We both agreed the coconut shrimp was the best we’ve had yet in Barra or Melaque.
I overheard another table raving about the deserts, but I wasn’t fussy about their pie selection. Instead, we indulged in a full-blown banana split, complete with the neapolitan ice cream flavours I remembered from my childhood, and fresh local bananas and strawberries. If I had to complain about anything it would be the lack of hot fudge on the split.
We each had two drinks with our meal and desert. The bill came to $570 Pesos or a hair under 40 Loonies. A steal, considering Cathryn and I think it’s the best restaurant we’ve tried this year in Melaque. We both rated it 10 out of 10.
I literally stumbled across this hidden gem while exploring the back streets running parallel to the blurred Melaque/Villa Obregon border. I saw the words Chavakiah and Desayuno scribbled on a chalkboard near Esmerelda’s and ambled over the cobblestone to see what I could see, and maybe eat.
And there it was, an oasis among the non-descript faded pastel bungalows, a few umbrellaed tables and another chalkboard to signal I had the right place. I sat outside the first time but had to take shelter inside today because of the unusual rainstorm (it never rains while we’re here in the winter).
It seems Cathryn and I don’t get out for dinner as much these days, mostly because we like to cook, and that we expect good food and service for the price we pay. We’ve also been slacking in visits across the border to Detroit, where exciting things have been happening in the restaurant and entertainment scene.
Take the Detroit Shipping Company for example. Some enterprising entrepreneurs took a vacant lot near the Cass Corridor, stacked metal shipping containers in the shape of a square, and added a handful of specialty restaurants to a revitalized neighborhood. The is plenty of room for inside and outside drinking and dining and hanging out.
Cathryn and I don’t get out for dinner much these days, mostly because many restaurants aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Who wants to pay forty bucks for a steak that’s not cooked to your liking or eat frozen veggies. Maybe it helps in our case that we both like to cook, and cook the way we like.
Not to say there aren’t any great restaurants in Windsor. Take the little Italian grill and pasta shop called, Capone’s on Wyandotte Street, in old Riverside. Owner John Fuerth is the restaurant’s first reason for success. He openly admits that he mimicked his favorite Italian restaurant, the Cook Shop, when he created Capone’s.
Cathryn and I have eaten in both places and John hasn’t missed a beat. We were able to get a table on Friday night without reservations and were welcomed as if we were extended family. We started with the scallop appetizer special. They were plump, seared to perfection and served with a tasty reduction and veggie slivers.
Cathryn had the Chateau Briand and I ordered the carbonara with pancetta, asking for it to be on the creamy side. The wait wasn’t long and our meals were served piping hot from the kitchen that was only a few feet away (a very cozy place for the cooking staff). C’s filet was cooked exactly how she asked. I received a damn good sized bowl of pasta – easily the best carbonara I’ve had in many years.
For dessert we had cheesecake that was made inhouse. It was not your normal triangle slab cut from a pie tin. It resembled a large scoop of ice cream, light and creamy, with no gram crust, and topped with blueberry sauce. OMG good.
Even with a decent bottle of wine, our bill barely broke a hundred dollars. The same meal would have cost us almost double at the Cook Shop. John told us Lino recently retired and sold the downtown landmark. Not a problem for us since we’ve found our new favorite Italian eatery. Both C and I give Capone’s a 10 out of 10, and I think that’s the first time ever.
One of our favorite breakfast spots in Melaque is El Patio, on the same side of the street and just west of the Bus Depot and Roosters. You can actually walk right by the place if you’re not looking for the restaurant, there are three tables out front on the sidewalk that give it away. Our first time there we didn’t even know there was a beautiful courtyard patio inside, past the kitchen.
We’ve been in Melaque, Mexico just over a month now, our second visit to this undiscovered gem on the Pacific coast. The towns of Villa Obregon and San Patricio help to form what is known as Melaque, a little known destination for many Canadian snowbirds. Although tiny in comparison to places like Puerto Vallarta, Melaque has a great selection of bars and restaurants to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger. Although we’ve tried many different establishments in the last month, I am only mentioning three of our favorites in this blog post.
Life Written and Reviewed 